Free for All: Recapping Mabinogi Iria Saga chapters four to six

It's time for another recap of the last three MabinogiSaga Iria chapters. If you'd like a full recap of what exactly the Saga Iria is, check in on our previous coverage, but the short verions is that it's a grand, sweeping saga that is spread out over 12 episodes. In it, the player is cast into not only the role of the hero but the role of the villain. It's a complicated story, so you could also get caught up via the livestreams embedded past the cut (and the previous ones as well).

Of course, the very best way to enjoy the chapters is to play through them yourself. But Mabinogi Community Manager Sabina won't be joining you as she joined me in the livestreams, will she? So, watch on for her take on the game! I found some familiar challenges in these chapters, challenges that pushed my abilities as a player. I wouldn't have been able to survive these chapters without the help of the community and the advice of fantastic players. Thanks to them, I have learned things about the game and its systems that I would have never experienced on my time budget. So let's get to the recap! (Just be very aware: This article contains many spoilers!)

Shamala and I found Milia at the Ant Pit, but Milia did not want to be interrupted. Nevertheless, Shamala convinced Milia to come to the shaman-town to train Milia in the use of her powers. Unfortunately, Demote, the caretaker, stated that only Akul had the strength to train a power as great as Milia's. A crazed ex-shaman named Lelach (emphasis on crazy) then claimed he can train Milia. We completed the charm Akul was making for my character with the help of the Elves and Giants; the completed charm exorcised my demons. We returned to shaman-ville and met with representatives of the Elves and Giants.

This Milia-heavy episode was a lot of fun to stream but provided the usual head-scratching moments. Luckily, the players were there before and after to explain what I had just played through.

I agreed to help the Giants retake Hillwen and the Elves retake Shyllien. Dowra of the Giants wanted to push the enemies back to Zardine and take on the White Dragon, so I was sent to the Elves to help. Meanwhile, a Cessair (a member of a cult working with the dragons) gave a false prophecy to the Elves that Milletians (Mabinogi's word for players) will overrun the world. Both Elves and Giants turned on me, leaving me open to being ambushed by the Cessair. Black Mask confronted me, telling me the world would be better off if I killed myself. I refused but realized I was surrounded by enemies.

Quite a cliffhanger, this one. I was able to hang out with fellow "Milletians," NPCs who were dressed a lot like the players they represented. The Hillwen mines were a challenge but also buggy. I have been surprised at how many bugs this latest string of chapters brought with it. Fortunately, none of them was game-breaking and the chapters are always repeatable.

I started off by fighting against the Black Dragon Knight and his minions but eventually failed. However, the charm exploded and drove the enemies off. This also turned the gathered Milletians into demons, which shocked the Giants and Elves. They decided to lock up all Milletians until they could figure out what was going on. Meanwhile, the Black Dragon and the Black Dragon Knight attacked the holy land but were stopped by Lelach. Sure enough, Lelach was revealed to be Akul. Back with me, Milia was furious (no surprise there) because the demons that the Milletians turned into are the same as the ones that killed her parents. She leaped into battle with the demons, but there were just too many. She used a spell she learned from Lelach to teleport away to her favorite place, the oasis.

This chapter was frustrating, at least during the livestream. There were a few bugs that set me back, but luckily it all came out in the end. Ruari is a tough character; his phantom versions are not fun to tangle with either. I did learn a new skill, however, thanks to clues from the chat room. Assault Slash is wonderful, and I would have never have tried it out without prodding from the players.

I have to say that this has been some of the most intense and fun MMO gaming I have ever participated in. What's next in the Saga? Well, so far I have played up to the seventh chapter, and I'm still quite confused about some of the characters' stories. The great thing is that a player can repeatedly play the chapters -- in any order -- as they become available. I have used this to my advantage and played the chapters before I stream them, so I will be more familiar with them before I go live every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Many thanks to Community Manager Sabina. She has shown nothing but patience as she waits for me to finish the chapters alone, as they do not allow multiplayer interaction. Luckily we've enjoyed the gathering of players as we stream the videos. I've met so many cool players!

I would like to encourage you to try Mabinogi if you haven't before. If you can try these epic quests, go for it. Not only will you gain tons of experience, but the world will feel much deeper and more intricate. The Saga Iria has been a wonderful way to get to know the world of Mabinogi better. See you in the livestream!

Each week, Free for All brings you ideas, news, and reviews from the world of free-to-play, indie, and import games -- a world that is often overlooked by gamers. Leave it to Beau Hindman to talk about the games you didn't know you wanted! Have an idea for a subject or a killer new game that no one has heard of? Send it to beau@massively.com!